Carpet or rug fabric



NOV. 7, 1939. MATTHEWS 2,179,375

' cmrm on RUG FABRIC Filed July 12, 1938 3 Sheets-Shet 1 y m 617501" Russell R MaLZheM Nov. 7, 1939. R. R. MATTHEWS 2.179.375

CARPET on RUG FABRIC Filed July 12, 1938 s Sheets-Sheet s V INVENTCYJR. Passe 1P Maiihews Patented Nov. 7, 1939 CARPET 0R RUG FABRIC Russell R. Matthews, Cornwall, N. Y., assignor to Firth Carpet Company, Inc., New York, N. Y.

Application July 12, 1938, Serial No. 218,743

2 Claims. (01. l39-406) This invention is a carpet or rug fabric of the pile type, together with a method whereby the same is produced.

Plain and color patterned pile fabric of both the cut and uncut type, or of Wilton, velvet, and other varieties, have limited pattern character dictated either by continuity of color as in single color surfaces, continuity of surface texture, or

regularity and repetition of color patterning, and

such carpet and rug fabrics have become commcnplace in the art and are relatively standardized.

Few carpet or rug fabrics are presented in the trade with a pattern produced in the weave such, for instance, as the herringbone, block or stripe, and those which have been introduced have been unpopular, one reason being that regularity of pattern produces a monotonous effect.

The present invention is a carpet or rug fabric of any of the characteristic weaves and eflects above mentioned but to which there is added a supplementary effect introduced in the method of weaving, and which imparts to the surface of the fabric a subtle suggestion of design intermingled with the predominant effect of either a color or weave pattern, or a combination of both, and the expression of which is more apparent from light refraction than by motif, the character appeal of the surface being different when viewed from varying angles.

A further feature of the invention is that it may be carried out in the many different types of carpet or rug fabrics hereinbefore enumerated with equal success and constituting staple articles of merchandise, and with the additional advantage that there is a substantial saving in tuft pile yarn while, at the same time, producing a more richly characterized product.

Also, the invention comprehends a self-pattern in the weave whereby a deep pile fabric of even a single color and having a repeat pattern is broken down by an intermingled pattern only elusively discernible throughout the surface of the fabric, and breaking into and relieving the monotonous effect otherwise present as a'result of repetition of the weave design, or sameness of the weave. There is the added feature that, in a plain surface rug of one color, the incorporation of this subtle design relieves the plain efiect to such an extent that scuff marks, and the like, are rendered practically unnotice able.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, I have illustrated my invention, and hereinafter describe the same with suf- In the drawings which form a 'part hereof: I

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a carpet or rug fabric of the cut pile type woven according to my invention and in which pattern detail is exaggerated for the purpose of emphasizing the character of the fabric produced according to this invention..

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic sectional view warpwise illustrative of one of the several methods of weaving by which my invention may be practiced.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic sectional view warpwise similar to Fig. 2 of another method of practicing the invention.

Fig. 4 is a plan View similar to Fig. 1 disclosing another form of surface pattern, and

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic warp-wise view in section similar to Fig. 3.

In detail:

The pattern shown in Fig. 1 produced by the method of Fig. 2 will first be described.

In the cut pile tufted fabric of Fig. 1 there is.

disclosed a repeat pattern formed of dark colored tufted areas I and light colored tufted areas 2, with an intermingled weave pattern of unraised pile areas 3 easily identifiable, in this figure, since these areas are exaggerated to disclose what is known as a grinning through effect. This emphasizes what, in the actual weave as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 5, becomes a closed but depressed area or valley creating the subtle pattern heretofore referred to and which, it is to be noted, may be intermingled or interspersed with the colors in such manner that it occurs in an apparently miscellaneous effect, either in areas of single color as at 4, or in areas between colors as at 5 but with an all-over design.

The method of weaving shown warp-wise in section in Fig. 2 is that used in Fig. 1, though not necessarily delineating the same pattern effect; it is possible, of course, to have two, three, or four shot weaves. In this sectional view one face vyarn is indicated at 6, another at I, and a third at 8; face yarns l5 and i being of the same color, and B of a different color, though, of course, 6 and I may likewise be of different colors. Stuffer warps are indicated at 9 and II], the weft at ii, and the binder chain warps at it; the whole being diagrammatic and loosely indicated woven for the purpose of illustrating clearly the method of weaving in which the pile tuft or face yarns 6 and 1 carry through to leave unraised tuft material at l3 (exaggerated at 3 in Fig. l) whe by a slight depression is formed by the bending or splay of adjacent tufts toward one another, this eifect occurring between face yarns 5 and 1 of the same color and further on, between face yarns l and 8 of different colors and again at l4 between face yarns of different colors whereby an intermingled pattern is introduced by unraised pile between face yarns of the same color or of different colors. The area l3, however, is substantially completely closed by the threads of adjacent tufts leaning toward each other and forming a slight surface depression at the juncture; this conceals entirely any such grinning effect as is indicated at 3 in Fig. l, the surface of the fabric presenting to the eye, in addition to the pattern created by dark and light colored yarns, a third pattern which is, as stated, only elusively discernible by light effect and which is changeable in appearance when viewed from different angles.

The method of weaving a patterned pile fabric on a loom, for instance of the Jacquard type, embraces the successive steps of changing heddles carrying binder warps to form a lower and upper shed, inserting the weft, beating up the weft to the fell of the work, raising selected tuft yarn in the warps to form an upper shed, inserting a pile wire, lowering the selected tuft yarns in tension over the pile wire, closing the lower shed to bind the weft tightly against the base of the tuft to compress the same and make them splay out from tension over the pile wire when out and closeto view the base of the fabric, forming a second lower shed by raising of one group of the binder warps with all of the tufting material and with the remainder of the binder warps lying on the lower part of the shed, inserting another weft shot to securely bind and compress the tuft material at the base of the tufts around the pile wire and interlock the warps, and then drawing the pile wire to form the tufted surface. It is to be noted that, as shown clearly in Fig. 2, the colors not selected for raising remain in the surface of the foundation of the carpet and form a background lending depth in appearance and assist, in addition to the splayed tufts, in concealing and disguising the base structure of the fabric body.

In the form and method of velvet fabric weaving shown in Figs. 3 and 5, which may have a single color surface delineated in pattern both by the weave and accentuated by the unraised pile, tension over the pile wire or compression of the base of the tufts is again used to enhance the splay of the threads of adjacent tufts into engagement so as to close the gap between adjacent tufts, thus where unraised pile occurs a slight valley is formed, the tufts concealing, however, the background beneath as indicated by shadows shown at IS in Fig. 4 and accentuating the pattern I6, the unraised pile material being near the surface in the background as previously mentioned.

In Fig. 3 the tufts are indicated at H as of the same color with lapses between as shown at it closed, however, by contact of the splayed tuft heads; the Stllfil warps are shown at t9, the weft at 2% the binder chain warps at 2!, while the pile tuft yarn is indicated at 22.

In Fig. 5 the stuffers are numbered 23, the binder chain warps as 26, the weft as 25 and the tuft yarn as 26, with unraisedyarn at 21, the float being for a shorter or longer distance as shown by the variations between 27 and 28, but the tufts always being tensioned over a pile wire and compressed at the base, and sufiiciently long and full at the top to splay out as previously described and thus provide intermingling of the threads of adjacent tufts for concealing the background between.

The importance of the tuft material of face yarn being considerably tensioned over the pile wire is emphasized as it is this feature which is a contributing factor in causing the tufts to splay or spread out when out more than is the case where the tension is kept at a minimum or is insufficient, or in other types of carpets such, for instance, as the Axminster.

It is also to be noted that while in the foregoing I have described Jacquard weaving, and Wilton and velvet types it is nevertheless to be understood that the invention is applicable to most types of standard looms, and that I may resort to any ano all modifications falling within the scope of the appended claims defining my invention.

I claim:

1. A pile fabric comprising face and back wefts with stuffer warps between, binder warps over and under the face and back weft shots respectively, pile warps above the stuifer warps which, with the face wefts, form a surface coextensively masking the foundation, the said pile warps being selectively raised and left unraised to form tufted and untufted repeat patterns, the pile tufts being bound immediately at their bases and carried to a height, and out while under a tension, sufficient to splay the tufts into at least touching engagement across the untufted pattern areas.

2. A pile fabric comprising face and back wefts with stuffer warps between, binder warps over and under the face and back weft shots respectively, pile warps above the stuifer warps which, with the face wefts, form a surface coextensively masking the foundation, the said pile warps being selectively raised and left unraised in spaces of varying width to form tufted and untufted .repeat patterns, the pile tufts being bound immed ately at their bases and carried to a height,

and out while under a tension, sufiicient to. splay the tufts into at least touching engagement across even the widest of the untufted areas.

RUSSELL R. MA'I'IHEWS. 

